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CEO
Organizational Transformation
Strategic Planning and Technical Assistance
Dr. Steve Regur is the founder and the CEO of Educators Cooperative, a partner in innovative K-12 education solutions. Steve leads a diverse team on a wide range of projects designed to empower teachers and increase opportunities for students, while staying grounded in solid research about teaching and learning. Current projects include county- and district-level career education programs , developing competency-based digital badging systems, coaching for personalized learning, and strengthening professional learning networks.
Dr. Steve Regur holds a Bachelor of Arts from Trinity University in Texas, and graduated from USC's Rossier School of Education in 2010. His doctoral work evaluated the conditions necessary for districts to support college and career ready skills to prepare students for success in a dynamic, interconnected world.
In the past 15 years, Steve has authored more than $4.2 million in grants for schools; co-founded two K-5 and three 6-12 public schools focused on personalized learning and global competency; and has helped dozens of schools and districts reach student achievement goals through innovative projects.
CFO
Strategic Planning and Technical Assistance
Curriculum and Instructional Design
Kirk Melkonian is an experienced education consultant, leadership coach, project manager, and product developer. He holds an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business, with an emphasis on business strategy and marketing, and serves as Educators Cooperative's CFO. Kirk's portfolio of work includes leadership coaching, project management, curriculum and instructional design, and program design and implementation.
Recent projects include designing global competency measures and curriculum for an international organization; consulting on, and designing career education curriculum and resources for a literacy focused technology company; and in 2020 leading the reopening design and plan for the first large district in the US to reopen during the Covid pandemic.
Curriculum and Instructional Design
Team Development
Scott Houston holds a Masters of Arts in middle school education and a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry. He began his teaching career in Fontana where he taught both middle and high school over an eight-year period. During this time he also taught courses at CSU San Bernardino for MA candidates.
Scott is National Board Certified in early adolescent mathematics, and has received recognition four times in Who's Who Among America's Teachers.
Scott is an experienced education consultant helping teachers implement research based strategies and best practices. Some of Scott's recent projects include helping teachers understand the Next Generation Science Standards, Assessment Readiness, Curriculum and support for Strategic Thinking in Mathematics, and designing a Career Education framework, curriculum and resources for students from Kindergarten through High School.
He also loves dogs and comics.
Workplace Health and Wellness
Curriculum and Instructional Design
Restorative Practices
Jessie Tena has over twenty years of experience in the California public school system serving as a teacher, administrator, coach, mentor, and now as a consultant. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis on teaching at the secondary level from San Diego State University as well as a Master’s degree in Education with a Cross-Cultural focus. She was honored as San Diego Unified School District’s Teacher of the Year for High School in 2013. That same year Jessie also completed her training to become a Freedom Writer Teacher in Long Beach, California. She recently earned her Positive Intelligence coaching certificate with Dr. Shirzad Chamine at Stanford to support clients who would like to enhance their personal and professional wellbeing.
Recent projects include supporting San Diego Unified School District to end the "school to prison pipeline" and support the expansion of restorative communities. Jessie also serves as an advisor to nonprofits and community organizations interested in integrating restorative and equitable practices into their systems of support.
Workplace Health and Wellness
Team Development
Melinda R. Pierson, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Special Education at Cal State Fullerton, serving as the Department Chair for 15 years and was honored as the Outstanding Professor in the College of Education in 2012. She's also held the position of Director of the Center for International Partnerships in Education since 2002.
Dr. Pierson has led over 100 students on inclusive study abroad programs; co-leads international teacher training research projects focusing on global awareness and cross-cultural understanding among educators from more than 10 countries; and developed an online training network in Haiti to support teachers in orphanage schools. Her recent work with Educators Cooperative include wellness support and workshops to multiple districts, in addition to supporting teachers on issues related to students with disabilities.
Over her career, Dr. Pierson has written over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and grants focusing on literacy, inclusion, international teacher training, wellness, and resilience in children and adolescents around the world. She has presented hundreds of times to school districts as well as at state, national, and international conferences. Dr. Pierson recently started working with the US Department of State Office of Overseas Schools, supporting state department personnel and their families overseas.
Career Education
Human Resource Development
Ed Hidalgo is an expert in Human Resource Development and is especially passionate about supporting the career journey of people struggling to manage their careers. Ed consults and advises on all aspects of Career Readiness.
Ed has a Bachelors of Science in Communications from the University of Miami, and has served in a variety of Human Development roles including: Area Manager for Manpower in San Diego, Senior Director for Staffing and Government affairs at Qualcomm, Director of the World of Work initiative at the University of San Diego, and Chief Innovation Officer at the Cajon Valley Union School District. He is certified by Myers-Briggs as a CPI and Strong Interest Inventory Facilitator, as well as a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach.
Ed's projects include designing and leading Qualcomm's Thinkabit Lab™, an innovative hands-on, makerspace experience for middle-school students; the World of Work initiative brings the experience of career readiness to students K-12; and advising a technology education company on integrating career readiness into K-12 literacy.
Restorative Practices
Juancarlosnieblas@educators.coop
JuanCarlos Nieblas was born and raised in San Diego, California. For the last 25 years Juan Carlos has led educational justice work providing multiple services in Elementary, Middle School and High School as a counselor, pupil advocate and Restorative Justice Practitioner. His work with youth and their families that began at the age of 16 has led him to serve as a leader in the Restorative Justice movement and is currently the Program Manager for the Restorative Justice Practices in Schools with The National Conflict Resolution Center.
Juan Carlos continues to employ his diverse Educational experience to support student personal, social, emotional, and academic needs. Collaboratively he works in partnerships with the San Diego Unified School District RJP Department, Escondido Union School District and Sweetwater Union School District, school leadership, staff, existing programs, and community agencies to lead, develop and implement Restorative Justice Practices through schools in San Diego County. Juan Carlos holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in chemical dependency and is currently pursuing a Pupil Services Credential for School Counseling from National University. Juan Carlos is a member of Izcalli and the National Compadres Network where he continues to honor his lifelong commitment to serve and mentor young men in the community as he was once a mentee himself.
Curriculum and Instructional Design
Vanessa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and Political Science from UCLA, and a Master of Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She began her career in education in Denver, Colorado as a Pre-K teacher and Community Relations/International Schools Coordinator. In 2015, she completed her M.A. in Educational Leadership and Management at Teachers College, Columbia University, and eventually served as a School Leader. As an education leader, Vanessa has extensive experience in professional learning, curriculum development, and educational consultancy. She excels in supporting implementations of various scales, employing insights from product data as well as adult learning principles to craft strategies that precisely address customer needs. With a keen focus on fostering equitable practices and building trust, Vanessa collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to drive positive outcomes and enhance implementation metrics. Her dedication to inclusivity and excellence is evident throughout her career, from leading district implementations to designing innovative digital content for national and global delivery.
With her rich educational and professional background, Vanessa combines academic expertise with practical leadership skills and a global mindset. Her commitment to global education is underscored by her involvement as a presenter at prestigious events such as the Partnership for Global Learning and the Asia Society, where she shared insights on pedagogical innovations and global initiatives. Recognized as a Champion of Change by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, Vanessa's passion for educational equity and transformational change continues to inspire her work, making a lasting impact on communities and educational systems worldwide.
Curriculum and Instructional Design
Jackie Hanna was born and raised in Oxford, Ohio. She has her Bachelor’s degree in education from Miami University, where she focused on international studies and studied abroad in Differdange, Luxembourg. She received her Master’s in curriculum and instruction from the University of Colorado.
Jackie spent 13 years teaching around the world. Starting at the Denver Center for International Studies where she mentoring student-teacher residents, and continued at the Korea International school in Seoul, South Korea, focusing on trans-disciplinary learning and vertical alignment. Jackie has also taught at Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the American School of Lima, in Peru, where she focused on backwards design, technology, and objective-driven learning.
Jackie has been fortunate, over the years, to work on a variety of projects and presentations. She's led training for engaging and flexible literacy instruction for young learners, technology implementation through collaborative learning for virtual learning, and standards alignment along with curriculum development for K12 educators through mathematics and science.
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